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The Institute for Colored Youth was founded in 1837 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It became the first college for African-Americans in the United States, although there were schools that admitted African Americans preceding it.
Learn about the origins, curriculum, and achievements of the Institute for Colored Youth, a private school for African American teachers founded by Quakers in Philadelphia in 1852. Explore how the school contributed to the education, community, and leadership of Philadelphians of color before and after the Civil War.
The Institute for Colored Youth was founded in 1837 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It became the first college for African-Americans in the United States, although there were schools that admitted African Americans preceding it.
First known as the African Institute, the school was soon renamed the Institute for Colored Youth. In its early years, it provided training in trades and agriculture, which were the predominant skills needed in the general economy.
At the age of 15, Octavius Catto became a student at the Institute for Colored Youth (ICY), a Quaker-funded trade school for black students that had transitioned into a teacher training academy just two years before he enrolled.
One of the first high schools to prepare black youth for skilled trades and teaching, the Institute for Colored Youth would later evolve into Cheyney University.
Learn about the history and achievements of the Institute for Colored Youth, a Quaker-funded school for African Americans in Philadelphia from 1852 to 1866. Explore the biographies and stories of its graduates, who became leaders in education, medicine, politics, and more.
